By Shannon Brasovan
Traditionally, Tu B’Shevat (meaning the 15th of the Hebrew month Shevat) has been known as the “new year for the trees.” In recent years, however, the celebration has morphed into more of a Jewish Earth Day that encompasses not only a fresh start for all things green, but also a way to celebrate nature and sustainable agriculture along with an intentionality around conservation and preservation.
Last week we embraced an entire week of varied nature-centric programming that was met with much Jewish joy, including:
- A memorable tip from the “Birds of Prey” presentation by the Alabama Wildlife Center noted that even if we think food refuse will biodegrade, you should not toss scraps along the roadside. When owls and other raptors go after the small animals that eat our apple cores, for example, the birds are more likely to get hit by a vehicle.
- Dana Hazen, city planner for Mountain Brook and an expert on native vegetation, educated us on the importance of planting native species in our gardens and landscapes. We’ll bring Dana back soon for a presentation about native bees, but keep reading to see how her presentation influenced Friday’s volunteer clean-up efforts. In the meantime, learn more about planting native…
- Here’s where the bok choy in the title fits in: Ireland Farms reminded us of the importance of shopping local with a pop-up farmers market (rescheduled due to rain) that was a big hit with members arriving at and exiting The J. Raise your hand if you want to see them here more regularly!
- Collier’s Nursery wowed us again with a display of potted plants and trees to make our lobby feel like a lush jungle for a week. Just stop by their nursery if you missed your opportunity to buy any of their beautiful plants.
- Throughout the years, the Cohn Early Childhood Learning Center has planted many trees on our property as part of their Tu B’Shevat learning. So many, in fact, that a few roots have actually grown through our pipes and caused some issues. So instead of planting more trees this year, we figured maybe it would be better to zhuzh up our campus. On Friday a dozen volunteers showed up to help. After hearing Dana’s presentation that called out the invasive nandina plant and how its poisonous berries kill birds, our volunteers did their best to at least start removing the unwelcome plant along The J’s hiking trails and — a bit embarrassingly — in our landscaping. The crew also cleared out some unsightly underbrush.
And now we’re already looking forward to next year’s Tu B’Shvat celebration. Happy planting and gardening this spring!
As the chief experience officer at The J, Shannon oversees membership, fitness, marketing, and the Office of Jewish Life.
